Korea drops to No. 25 in FIFA rankings following 2 consecutive losses

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Published: 02 Apr. 2026, 08:46 Updated: 02 Apr. 2026, 15:23

Hong Myung-bo, Korean national team manager, looks on during a press conference after a friendly against Ivory Coast at Stadium MK in England on March 28. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

On the heels of two consecutive losses, Korea have dropped three spots to No. 25 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday.

Korea opened the year at No. 22 but suffered the biggest drop among the top-30 nations after losing to the Ivory Coast 4-0 and to Austria 1-0 during the March international match window.

Korea remained the third-best country in the Asian Football Confederation, behind No. 18 Japan and No. 21 Iran.

Japan moved up a notch after defeating Scotland and England in March. Iran split their two March matches, falling to Nigeria 2-1 before routing Costa Rica 5-0.

Korea will play in Group A at the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Mexico, after climbing one spot to No. 15, remain the top-ranked team in that group. The Czech Republic, following a playoff win to secure the final remaining place in Group A, rose two spots to No. 41. South Africa stayed at No. 60.

The next update for the rankings will come on June 10, following the end of the last international window prior to the World Cup.

Yonhap